Home Equity Loans - second mortgage

Jane Addams asked:




With so many people of America who are in debt it is easy to understand why the Government has programs to help individuals that are in need. People are charging everything from gas to groceries and it seems that the problem is not going to end soon. Most people don’t know that thousands upon thousands of home loan grants are given out each and every year, to people who are just like them. But hundreds of thousand of other people go without a grant, not knowing that they may be able to qualify for one - and better yet, get the money that they need to do what they’ve always wanted with their home.

If you want to find out, you would qualify for home loan grants, you need to learn what they are and then find out what grants are available on the internet. In this article, you will find this information out to much help.

1. What Kinds Of Grants Are There?

The problem in today’s real estate market is that most people have no idea of what all is available or where to start in looking for it. However, when it comes to home loan grants, there are many available and once you know where to look, you will find the process of securing one quick and easy. If you need your home fixed, you will be able to find a home loan for that. As well as fixing up your home for looks and functionality. If you want a home loan, and need a down payment (This is one of the most common grants), but don’t have the money to save and spend on one, there is a grant for that. It’s actually easy to qualify for, and can give you thousands to put towards the home of your dreams.

2. Qualifications for Home Loan Grants!

The number one question have about home loan grants has to do with qualification. Remember that every grant is slightly different. There are even some grants that have some money, but not enough to help everyone out who applied. Even so, the basic concept of the grants is identical. There are a few grants out there that can give you up to $3000 dollars to help pay off back mortgage payments so that you won’t default on your loan and go into foreclosure.

- There are home loan grants for people that are disabled as well as veterans and those with a very low income level. You can check with the loan but these are all reasons that you may qualify.

- To qualify for home loan grants, you would need an income deemed to be at poverty level, which is not difficult in today’s recession.

- Grants are many times given to those with more personal debt problems, so apply even if you are having issues with money.

Jennifer

Jon Spears asked:




Every mortgage or refinance needs a target; something larger we’re trying to accomplish beyond just buying/refinancing a home or investment property. The best loan isn’t always the loan with the lowest rate, but the loan that helps you move forward financially.

Here are a few “Refinance Rules” you may want to consider.

These are rules aren’t strict-rather they are just like the sites on a rifle…they help everyone get a focus.

Because a mortgage should not be an end in and of itself, but a means to a bigger end.

Top Refinance Rules…

#1) Eliminating Consumer Debt: (Non-tax deductible)

#2) Have a Savings Cushion: Ideally 3-6 months in a liquid interest-bearing account.

After you close on a home loan, you’ll need a savings cushion. They focus so much on the mortgage rate, that they’ll empty all their savings to buy a home. Not a good idea! Tell me, does it matter if you get the lowest rates in Texas if you don’t have $500 left to your name after closing?

This is one reason why people should consider 95% loans. There’s a myth out there that most people with good credit put 20% down–but most the 80-90-95% home loan clients are PhDs, teachers, physicians, engineers, Aggies, OU Sooners, who could easily put 5-10% down. They choose to keep mortgage down payments to a minimum so they can put more money elsewhere, like money markets, buying investment homes, etc.

Refinance Rule #3) Pay of home before 30 years and save a ton in interest…..you shouldn’t pay for your house 3 times.

Go with the loan that moves you forward financially. If this is a 15 year refinance-great. But if you have debt and you’re paying lots of money out each month-your best bet is going with a home equity loan. The fewer bills you have the better.

Mortgage rates go up and go down…so chasing a magical rate is kinda stressful. And waiting for the market to come your way takes you out of control of your finances. I mean, if rates are 7% and you’re waiting on rates in the 4% range, you may be waiting a few years.

Have a strategy when going into the home loan or refinance- and “use” the mortgage to execute your game plan. Mortgages are just tools. And choosing the right tool is very important.

Ask yourself: “Is there a better way to approach a home loan or refinance than just trying to get some “magical low rate.” Naturally, rate is important, closing costs are too, but let’s try to blend two objectives. The more things you can accomplish with your refinance the better you will be and the better ROI you get from your closing costs.

For most people, they only aim at the mortgage rate. So what do mortgage companies do…they give low rates to these people. But With PMI…

PMI: Consider this, if your rate is 6.00% and the house payment is $1000. But your PMI is $200 month do you still think your rate is 6% if you’re paying $1200/month? Why don’t more people avoid PMI-it’s almost always a waste of money. You guessed it. Home loans that are 80/20 or 80/10 or 80/15s have higher rates because these are riskier than single loans.

And did you know mortgage people make more money on single loans vs. 80/20s or 80/15/5 loans?

Or take 95% home loans…these rates are higher than 20% down. But sometimes people want to keep their money vs putting it towards a home. Maybe they are self-employed and can get a greater return on this money elsewhere or maybe they can take the 5% down and eliminate all their consumer debt. Each person is different and has different goals and incomes.

So how do we actually blend these goals of low rates with financial planning? What do the “Refinance rules” look like in real life.

Someone calls and says “I want to lower my rate. I want to lower monthly bills.” Okay, great. That’s pretty general. Sorta like most high school boys want a nice car and a pretty girlfriend. Who doesn’t want this?

But what if we took at bigger approach to things and blended your goals for a refinance rule and added “eliminate consumer debt” to the equation. What loan would we choose if the objective was to reduce your family’s overall monthly expenses-not just the mortgage?

Just focusing on the mortgage is fine-who doesn’t want a lower home payment. But when we look at the mortgage in context of the overall family expenses we are really doing is improving your overall financial plan. This is what a financial planner truly needs to do. And all financial planning begins on the mortgage level. Because when you are out of debt you have more money to save, to invest, to build towards retirement.

And it all this begins on the mortgage level.

What’s your current refinance goal? Maybe your situation might be “Hey Mr. Mortgage guy, what loan do you suggest that will help me retire at age 55.”

Let’s talk about Home Equity Loans: We recently helped a client get out of debt with a home equity loan. They’ll save over $900/month. That’s $10,800 a year they have in their checking accounts. Not theoretical money. Not the What Would Dave Ramsey Do (WWDR) approach of “cancel your cable and take the difference and put it into a municipal bond so you can make 1.3% over 10 years” But real money.

Financial planning truly begins on the mortgage level.

Home Equity Loans: If you are going to refinance, at least look at something larger than the mortgage rate. For example, let’s say you’re current mortgage is 7% and rates are at 5.75%. You’d really like to refinance and lower your bills. Let’s say, if you took advantage of the 5.75% you’d save $100/month. Hey-that’s progress!

But what if you took some equity out of your home and paid most/all of your non-tax deductible debt off in the process? This probably would save you $500-$700 month. Then you could take some of the savings and apply it to your principal and pay a 30 year mortgage off in 15-20 years. That is a very important step-and here is where I agree with Dave Ramsey-you must have a budget because without this you’ll get back into debt.

Refinancing to get a low rate is good. The second approach moves you to an entirely different financial situation.

I mean, you’re going to have closing costs anyway. Why not go with a home loan that will move you forward financially vs. one that will just save you $100.

Some people think home equity loans are not good. Gurus like Dave Ramsey don’t encourage them. But if the numbers make sense-who’s to argue? Is Dave Ramsey going to pay your bills for you?

Dave teaches some great time-tested fundamental principles. Most of which I agree with. Budgeting, saving, low debt…but the more I listen to his show the more I see his main goal is this: ” Get to zero.”

“Don’t owe anyone anything”…which is good. He even throws some Bible verses around. Who could disagree with a simplistic message of getting to zero?

I don’t think you win the financial game by getting to zero. I believe you get there when you have money. When you have assets. And anyone who takes a black and white approach to anything, I tend to disagree with. Few things in life are 100%-and money is no different. If you called Dave’s show and said “Hey I make good money but I my retirement is iffy at best. I only have 30K in retirement and I’m 50 years old.” He’s likely to suggest you need to budget more, maybe cut out some vacations and buy another book of his.

If you called, me and you’d didn’t have any goals of your own-I’d probably suggest the things that Dave suggest- but I’d encourage you to buy investment properties or some other growth vehicle. If your IRA is growing at 1-2% and we find some properties that are growing at 3-5-7% I’d might even encourage you to put more of your savings towards a higher yield vehicle like established real estate. No specs stuff. Then, with the right planning and discipline, you could retire with several properties that have equity.

Then, with these assets you could sell them or keep them and enjoy passive income during your retirement years. Whichever approach you take-you’ll need to get some points on the board because “getting to zero” is no long term game plan. Most people need to take the Dave Ramsey PLUS perspective…. Take the budgeting, savings, getting out of debt time-tested fundamentals–PLUS buying and keeping assets and starting businesses, even if you have to incur debt.

Because getting to zero should not be the goal and every mortgage should have a specific purpose to move you forward financially.

Susan

Eddie Lamb asked:




The home equity loan interest rate that is available when you are thinking about applying for a loan should be a serious consideration in whether or not you choose to get the loan. If however you have financial needs that force you to take out a loan, take the time to review the important factors that impact the rate before choosing a particular lender. A small change in percentage points on the loan can make a significant dollar difference.

Defining the Terms

The amount of home equity is the amount of cash you would receive if you sold the home at market value and paid off the existing mortgage. In practice, this is not usually what happens. Instead the home owner increases the amount of loan against the home based on the increased value of the home. Equity in the home can increase if the market value increases and if the principal portion of the mortgage has been reduced by regular payments.

Where are the Best Loans Found?

Home equity loans are more popular now than in the past, in part because home owners may be looking for a way to pull cash value out of the home to meet obligations. However, the downturn in the housing market may make the home market value lower which means that there is not as much equity or collateral in the home. This makes less money available as collateral for a second mortgage.

How is the Interest Rate Calculated?

The interest rate for your second mortgage is affected by several different factors. If your credit score is high, the interest rate is likely to be somewhat lower than if you have a poor credit score. The amount of the loan you are seeking will affect the interest rate. Your rate may be higher if your loan-to-value ratio is high.

Types of Interest Rates

Interest rates on a home equity loan are usually either fixed or variable. Variable rates tend to be somewhat lower than fixed rates at the beginning, because they offer more protection to the lender. If interest rates in general increase, the rate charged on the individual loan can be adjusted upward. If interest rates in the economy are low, a fixed rate is advantageous for the borrower, since the cost of the monthly payment won’t increase over the repayment period.

Why Do Borrowers Choose a Home equity loan?

The primary reason to get a home equity loan is to take care of large financial obligations such as home improvement, schooling costs or medical bills. Since the loan is secured by collateral in the home, interest rates are usually much lower than increasing your credit card debt. It is for this reason a home equity loan is sometimes used to pay off high-interest credit cards.

Repayment Period of the Loan

In general, borrowers try to spread loan repayment out over a long period, so the monthly payment costs will be less. This practice results in a much larger cost for the interest portion of the loan, since the interest will be calculated on the longer period. Sometimes a lender will reduce the interest rate if the loan is taken for a shorter term.

No one wants to have an unbearable burden of debt, especially in shaky economic times, but sometimes an equity loan is the best option to manage large financial obligations. Before signing on the bottom line make certain that you have the best home equity loan interest rate available.

Claude

eHow asked:

The rules of home equity loans include not extracting all of the equity on a house, getting the home to appraise well and being able to repay the debt with a healthy income. Work with a financial institution to understand the rules of home equity loans usinginformation from a registered financial consultant in this free video on home equity. Expert: Patrick Munro Contact: www.northstarnavigator.com Bio: Patrick Munro is a registered financial consultant (RFC) with outstanding sales volume of progressive financial products and solutions to the senior and boomer marketplace. Filmmaker: Reel Media LLC

Dale

ehowfinance asked:

The average rate for a home equity line of credit will vary according to the financial institution, the property location, whether the property is an investment, and the homeowner’s FICO score. Check the Web sites of different lending institutions to determine what rate will be best for a home equity loan withtips from a registered financial consultant in this free video on home equity lines of credit. Expert: Patrick Munro Contact: www.northstarnavigator.com Bio: Patrick Munro is a registered financial consultant (RFC) with outstanding sales volume of progressive financial products and solutions to the senior and boomer marketplace. Filmmaker: Reel Media LLC

Frank

Susan Willis asked:




Having an even 3-point better interest rate on your home equity loan can save you over $1,000 in annual debt payments (on a loan of $50,000). Here are 4 tips for getting the best-possible home equity loan rates.

Tip #1: Pull your credit report: Even though your loan will be lent against the equity in your home as collateral, the rate for which you are eligible is still based largely upon your credit score. If you have not pulled your credit score in months or years, go ahead and do so now. You can get a free copy of your report at the Federal Trade Commission-authorized Web site.

Tip #2: Polish your credit score: If you have poor or fair credit, improving your credit score just 50 points or so can save you $1,000 or more in annual home equity loan payments. While an applicant with good credit might have a rate of 1/2 point below prime, someone with fair or poor credit might pay 1 to 5 points over the prime rate. Bonus: borrowers with better credit can often avoid application or appraisal fees as well, which can add up to significant savings.

Tip #3: Consider a home equity line of credit as an alternative: Before you apply for a home equity loan, consider a home equity line of credit as well. This is a great option if you are not sure exactly how much you will be borrowing over the next couple of years. The potential risk factor is that the rate is not fixed and as it is usually tied to the prime rate.

Tip #4: Compare rates: Once your credit score is in tip-top shape and you have decided that a home equity loan is your best option for securing cash, I suggest starting with your current mortgage lender to find out their best rate. Then, use that as a point of comparison and go online to shop for rates. There are a number Web sites that allow you to compare rates. Before selecting a loan on a given site, be sure to read the fine print about associated costs and fees.

For homeowners, a home equity loan can be a great way to secure cash. To get the best rate, be sure to check and then improve your credit score. Once you have decided that the timing is right to apply for a loan, shop for rates on any credible Web site that will allow you to compare among multiple lenders. And, be sure to read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.

Jessie

NationalGeographic asked:

For these amateur videographers, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time — and having your camera on. W!LD on Nat Geo Channel channel.nationalgeographic.com

Tim

xWisemoneyx asked:

In this short video I want to share five thoughts that will help to get you on the right track to becoming mortgage free. Many people have probably heard scary stories about home equity loans, and there is good reason for that. Hear what I have to share.

Cecil

Joseph Kenny asked:




Cash can be hard to get, at times, and the debt can pile up, but if you own your own home it may be much easier than you think. A home equity loan allows you to take out a loan based on the built up cash value of your home. Here is what you need to look for in order to get a good deal on a home equity loan.

How It Works

A home equity loan is worth the amount of money that you now have invested in your house. For instance, if you house is worth $250,000 on the market, and you still have $155,000 on your existing mortgage, then you have an equity value of the difference - $95,000, in this case. That means that many lenders would be glad to give you a loan worth up to $95,000, as a second mortgage, or home equity loan.

Two Kinds of Mortgages

When you apply for a home equity loan, there are two kinds that you might get. The first kind, called a home equity loan, simply gives you the money - like any other loan. You are free to use the money as you want. The other kind is called a home equity line of credit, often referred to as a HELOC. Both of these are also referred to as second mortgages, since they are secured by the house itself.

The Simple Home Equity Loan

A home equity loan, or second mortgage usually is tax deductible, and is often based on the entire amount of the equity of the home. Generally, it is at a higher rate than the first mortgage, and usually has a maximum of 15 years to pay it back. Many homeowners use a balloon payment with this type of mortgage, or a large payment that is due at the end, in order to keep their payments low.

Line of Credit

This type of home equity mortgage gives to the homeowner a credit line that they are free to draw on - when needed. The ceiling amount is pre-approved by the lender, and then they are free to draw out money as they need it - or if they need it. Up to 100% of the equity value can be borrowed, and interest is only paid on the amount borrowed. The rate of interest, though, will vary, depending on what the rates are at the time you withdraw any money. These loans are generally held open for up to 30 years.

Like with any other loan, you need to take the time to shop around in order to ensure that you get the best deal. Not only should you compare interest rates, but also the various fees that are involved. Separate the actual loan from the fees and compare them other loans - fee against fees and loan costs. Do not make the assumption that since the home equity loan has no closing costs, that they are not in there somewhere - they are.

Kim

Eshwarya Patel asked:




The process of purchasing a home is quite daunting. If you are a first-time home buyer, you should try to avoid this kind of a scenario. You can speed up the process and facilitate its progress by doing your homework.

Your research will help you to distinguish between the first-time buyer loans and the home equity loans. You can choose the one that is best suited to your personal needs.
Following are some basic facts about the home equity loans:

o In case of a home equity loan, you are required to pledge your property as collateral in order to obtain financing.

o If you have a bad credit history and are willing to borrow a significant amount of money, you can opt for a home equity loan.

o These loans are safer than the first-time buyer loans. They do not involve any risk and therefore, lenders offering such loans tend to be liberal. This is because the borrower can neither disappear with the house nor hide it in case of default.

Following are the advantages of home equity loans:

o Interest rates are lower than the first-time buyer loans.

o They can be easily obtained in case the borrower has a bad credit history.

o Relatively large loans can be availed.

o These loans are tax deductible.

Following are the disadvantages of these loans:

o In case of non-payment, the home can be forfeited.

o There is great possibility that the borrowers might lose their most valuable asset-their home-by getting into illegitimate deals with scammers.

Jonathan